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Chained Melodies
An extraordinary story of courage, self-belief and the true nature of love, when courage isn't about facing death, it's about facing life - and life isn't always conventional...
“Chaos is about rejecting all that you have learnt, chaos is about being yourself.” Emile M. Cioran
If chaos theory applied to anyone, it’s Will and Tom. Best friends since childhood, life takes very different courses for them until they’re thrown back together in the middle of their own individual chaos. Surviving the terrors of war in Northern Ireland and the heartbreak of childlessness and a broken marriage, Tom learns that bravery isn’t about daring death, it’s about facing life. For Will, it’s about being yourself – or in his case, herself, as he starts an unusual journey towards being just that; the woman, Billie.
Chained Melodies is the extraordinary story of how two men find not just courage, but self-belief and the true nature of love.
"Touching and almost heart-breaking, this is a novel to tickle your heart strings."
“...breath-taking and intriguing...”
“...a 'must read" novel.'”
“..quite beautiful, with a certain poetry in the tone."
“Chaos is about rejecting all that you have learnt, chaos is about being yourself.” Emile M. Cioran
If chaos theory applied to anyone, it’s Will and Tom. Best friends since childhood, life takes very different courses for them until they’re thrown back together in the middle of their own individual chaos. Surviving the terrors of war in Northern Ireland and the heartbreak of childlessness and a broken marriage, Tom learns that bravery isn’t about daring death, it’s about facing life. For Will, it’s about being yourself – or in his case, herself, as he starts an unusual journey towards being just that; the woman, Billie.
Chained Melodies is the extraordinary story of how two men find not just courage, but self-belief and the true nature of love.
"Touching and almost heart-breaking, this is a novel to tickle your heart strings."
“...breath-taking and intriguing...”
“...a 'must read" novel.'”
“..quite beautiful, with a certain poetry in the tone."
280 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2012
31 people are currently reading
1040 people want to read
About the author
Debrah Martin
4 books13 followersDebrah writes literary fiction and psychological thrillers under two pennames. She started writing ten years ago after the death of her husband, and self-published her first book in 2013. Since then she has been awarded BRAG Medallions for books in both genres. She is also artist, with non-fiction books on oil painting and creative writing. Describing herself as an unashamed people-watcher, she says,
“Whatever I’m doing and whoever I’m with, a little part of me is watching and secretly wondering what did that mean? Why did they do that? What might happen next? It was inevitable I would eventually put all those observations together into stories; but what happened next, and why, is never quite what you expect – as in real life, of course...”
“Whatever I’m doing and whoever I’m with, a little part of me is watching and secretly wondering what did that mean? Why did they do that? What might happen next? It was inevitable I would eventually put all those observations together into stories; but what happened next, and why, is never quite what you expect – as in real life, of course...”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 30, 2016
**Spoiler alert**
I'm not planning to give anything significant away, but I do plan to discuss the ending.
3.5
I have some real mixed feelings on this one, because some aspects of it I really loved and others not so much. Before I get to any of that, let me just say the writing here is marvelous and the late 70s-through 80s was a wonderful setting. My only real complaint, writing-wise, is that Will/Billie's journaling didn't really work for much of the book. His/her* POV is provided in the format of a diary, and it works in the beginning. But as the book progresses his entries become longer and more narrative-like, until eventually they no longer read like diary entries at all. The language is too florid, the descriptions too rich, the details too frequent to be a believable diary entry. It was a pleasure to read if you ignored the fact that it was supposed to be what it was supposed to be.
I liked both characters a lot and I really liked their...I'll call it a romance, even though it's not really. Neither acknowledges it as such. But their thoughts about eachother are sweet in a romantic (though not erotic) kind of way. I liked this a lot.
I did have some trouble believing Will's transsexualism. And I don't think I should have. The author's research was apparent...a little too apparent at times. Some of his experiences were just a little too textbook. But mostly my trouble arose because his self-exploration took the form of some kind of soft focus, bemused curiosity. There was no anger, shame, disgust or bad feelings about himself or his body at all. Not to suggest all transgendered individuals must feel this way, but every real-world account I've come across or interview series or personal account, etc all heavily accentuate this as part of recognizing they are not residing in the correct body. Will just sort of floats along wondering if he's gay or not and then suddenly meets a transsexual and decides that's what he is. I couldn't buy it.
I understand that up until a certain point he can only consider himself in ways he has a perspective for, and sexuality was something his worldview presented as possible for exploration and gender was not. I understood that, but I never sensed he had any real issue with his body, until suddenly he did. It all felt kind of sanitized.
This was all exasperated a little bit by the fact that he's described as being so obviously feminine. This is emphasized to such a degree that I felt that having a feminine appearance was integral to being transgendered, as if he couldn't have been if he was 6' 2", 200lbs and balding. Don't get me wrong, I really liked him as a character and I was willing to accept what I was bing told, but I had to make a conscious decision to do so.
Tom, however, Tom I bought completely. I really enjoyed his oblique self-revelations. I liked that he tried so darned hard to be a good man and failed over and over again. I loved his self-reproach and cowardice. He was a shit (and I'm pretty sure that'd be the word he used to describe himself), but he was a shit who was trying to learn to be a better man. But this is part of why I had trouble with the events involving his ex-wife that led to the ending. It's not that I don't think he would do it in some circumstance, but I thought that bridge had been burned a little too thoroughly for a man trying to break free to cross again. Especially since the ex-wife was such the cliché manipulative harpy.
Actually, I had a lot of trouble with the end. I have to just come out and ask, what is with all the unnecessary tragedy? I mean, it's the story the author wanted to tell, so it's not pointless per se, but a very real part of me wants to ask why non-cisgendered/heterosexual characters almost never just get an unmitigated happy ending. It's like they're the Red Shirts of the romance realm. Why do they have to suffer (be punished) before being given a little scrap of happiness they are expected to be thankful for, even in books like this one, that I'm confident was written in support of such characters?
I did really appreciate how richly the characters lives were depicted and how visceral the time period was shown to be. People have real problems—mental illness, abuse, neglectful parents, alcoholism, hopelessness, illness, infertility. And I liked that these are realistic blue collar people. Tom joins the army then works in a factory. Nothing glamorous in that, but it's real-life for so many people.
All in all, I had a few rather major complaints about the book (or certain aspects of it), but I generally really liked it. I liked Will/Billie and Tom. I liked their slow realizations. I liked the depth of writing and the patience with which the plot progresses. I think the book is well worth picking up.
*I use both pronouns here, instead of just the feminine, because for much of the book Will is unaware of his gender dysmorphia and Will and Billie are almost presented as separate characters. To ignore Will (him/he) would leave out an integral part of the story.
October 6, 2015
Source: I received a digital copy of this book from the author with thanks to Debbie Martin!
Cost: Free
Title: Chained Melody
Author: Debbie Martin
Genre: LGB(T), Realistic fiction
Overall Rating: 3.7 stars
Tom and Will were best friends in the 70s as kids, but the world changes and things happen to lead people down different roots.
Tom joins the army and serves in Northern Ireland, while Will struggles to come to terms with his gender. But when they end up back together, can they help one another, while helping themselves?
This story isn't a transgender love story. This is a love story that involves a transgender person.
I think this story is great, it takes a look at the perspective of people's perceptions of transgendered people in the late 20th century and it makes you think about has that view truly changed today. This is a really interesting story to follow as you watch these two people's paths cross again and it's nice to see how people's experiences can alter their thought patterns.
I think the only reason this book didn't score any higher was due to the fact that it was just so different to anything I've ever read before, and that's not a bad thing at all, this is a brilliant story after all. But I'm still developing my tastes in new adult/adult fiction.
I also sneakily wanted more Northern Ireland-isms mentioned in this book but that's a personal bias!
Cost: Free
Title: Chained Melody
Author: Debbie Martin
Genre: LGB(T), Realistic fiction
Overall Rating: 3.7 stars
Tom and Will were best friends in the 70s as kids, but the world changes and things happen to lead people down different roots.
Tom joins the army and serves in Northern Ireland, while Will struggles to come to terms with his gender. But when they end up back together, can they help one another, while helping themselves?
This story isn't a transgender love story. This is a love story that involves a transgender person.
I think this story is great, it takes a look at the perspective of people's perceptions of transgendered people in the late 20th century and it makes you think about has that view truly changed today. This is a really interesting story to follow as you watch these two people's paths cross again and it's nice to see how people's experiences can alter their thought patterns.
I think the only reason this book didn't score any higher was due to the fact that it was just so different to anything I've ever read before, and that's not a bad thing at all, this is a brilliant story after all. But I'm still developing my tastes in new adult/adult fiction.
I also sneakily wanted more Northern Ireland-isms mentioned in this book but that's a personal bias!
January 26, 2013
How would I describe this book? I guess I'd start with it's not a transsexual love story, it's a love story that happens to feature transsexuals. The author did an amazing job making the characters three-dimensional and their self-discovery journey is transforming not just for them, but the reader too.
November 11, 2016
A story of friendship and identity, Chained Melodies follows the intertwined stories of Will (Billie) and Tom. While Tom is off fighting in Northern Ireland, leading to heartbreak and a broken marriage, Will stays home to study at university, leading to the discovery of a new identity. One friend feels he has no future, while the other is just realizing his.
This was an emotional book, difficult to read at times, but all the more rewarding because of it. While Tom and Will were always different, life has only added to those differences, making their reconciliation as friends a difficult endeavour. The chapters switch back and forth between the two, allowing them both to have their say, and allowing the reader to understand their stories from both sides.
Will/Billie is just a wonderful character, a young woman who has learned to never accept anything at face value. Even though he feels no guilt or shame for who he is, he has still learned the pain of keeping secrets. When his best friend comes back into his life, Will tries to hide everything about his transition, but Tom is eventually they are forced to confront what it means for such a macho, athletic soldier to have a friend whose gender and sexuality are in flux.
Personally, I did not care for the way the story concluded, being too full of heartbreak and tragedy for my tastes, but I understand that life is not all about happy endings – even if I wanted one here.
Originally reviewed for Frock Magazine
This was an emotional book, difficult to read at times, but all the more rewarding because of it. While Tom and Will were always different, life has only added to those differences, making their reconciliation as friends a difficult endeavour. The chapters switch back and forth between the two, allowing them both to have their say, and allowing the reader to understand their stories from both sides.
Will/Billie is just a wonderful character, a young woman who has learned to never accept anything at face value. Even though he feels no guilt or shame for who he is, he has still learned the pain of keeping secrets. When his best friend comes back into his life, Will tries to hide everything about his transition, but Tom is eventually they are forced to confront what it means for such a macho, athletic soldier to have a friend whose gender and sexuality are in flux.
Personally, I did not care for the way the story concluded, being too full of heartbreak and tragedy for my tastes, but I understand that life is not all about happy endings – even if I wanted one here.
Originally reviewed for Frock Magazine
January 25, 2013
Romance novels aren't normally my preferred genre,but this isn't your average romance novel.
Debbie Martin takes the reader through a journey of a young man's coming of age and self discovery of his true identity.
Some people may find the subject of homosexuality and transsexualism controversial or even taboo, but the author has no political agenda, making the story more genuine.
Regardless of your sexual orientation,whether you're male or female, we can all relate to having the special relationship that occurs when you have a childhood friend, then go your own separate ways,only to catch up years later.
For me this was the takeaway of the enduring friendship between Will and Tom.
Debbie Martin takes the reader through a journey of a young man's coming of age and self discovery of his true identity.
Some people may find the subject of homosexuality and transsexualism controversial or even taboo, but the author has no political agenda, making the story more genuine.
Regardless of your sexual orientation,whether you're male or female, we can all relate to having the special relationship that occurs when you have a childhood friend, then go your own separate ways,only to catch up years later.
For me this was the takeaway of the enduring friendship between Will and Tom.
May 10, 2022
I just reread the money 3 days ago and was in tears again!
Review coming up!
Review coming up!
March 21, 2018
A book of two boys growing up, told from their different POV. They are very different yet somehow manged to stay friends throughout the years. That friendship grew into something much more for one of them. And then one of the boys discovered his true identity in different gender. The book is very typical coming of age story until it isn't..The end was packed with too much of every kind of drama, but overall it was an interesting story.
November 28, 2018
Wow.
Damn.
That's quite the epic story.
I need some recovery time from that...
Damn.
That's quite the epic story.
I need some recovery time from that...
October 11, 2015
Debrah Martin’s “Chained Melodies” is the kind of novel that pulls you in, invests you in the characters then thrums their emotions through your soul as you learn the trials and triumphs these incredible people face.
Will and Tom were best friends, despite their differences. They met in the school yard, Irish lads talking about apple-nicking. From the moment Will took a chance and trusted Tom, things changed for the duo – in ways no one could have ever imagined. 30 years later, when Tom would read the words Will wrote in a diary, that connection, that pull and prod of a lifelong friendship is raw and open – a wound begging to be healed and an invitation for the reader to learn what happened.
This story is touching, deep and mesmerizing. Tom and Will’s fates are intertwined though their lives take different routes. When the truth of the soul comes home to roost, Will faces who – and what – he is, and asks Tom to do the same. At times bittersweet and others beautiful, it ends on a note that will make you weep, both for hope and moments lost. Touching and heartfelt, this is human nature distilled.
Will and Tom were best friends, despite their differences. They met in the school yard, Irish lads talking about apple-nicking. From the moment Will took a chance and trusted Tom, things changed for the duo – in ways no one could have ever imagined. 30 years later, when Tom would read the words Will wrote in a diary, that connection, that pull and prod of a lifelong friendship is raw and open – a wound begging to be healed and an invitation for the reader to learn what happened.
This story is touching, deep and mesmerizing. Tom and Will’s fates are intertwined though their lives take different routes. When the truth of the soul comes home to roost, Will faces who – and what – he is, and asks Tom to do the same. At times bittersweet and others beautiful, it ends on a note that will make you weep, both for hope and moments lost. Touching and heartfelt, this is human nature distilled.
October 8, 2015
This is a heart warming and touching book that really grabbed me. It is the story of two boys who become best of friends, despite being so different. The bond they share and the twists and turns their lives take are gripping. The tale of coming of age, questioning their sexuality and coming to terms with who they truly are. It is a beautiful book and the characters of Tom and Will are done to perfection. It has a great flow and is easy to read and really makes the reader stop and think about sexuality and facing the truth about people and the challenges many face. Deb Martin did an incredible job in the writing of this book and as always I very much enjoyed it. This is poignant and raw and a heartfelt endeavor on her part. She is one of my favorite authors and I look forward to her next book. I recommend this with high regards. It is a different genre but it is a lovely read.
October 13, 2015
I love romance stories and I was excited to read Chained Melodies. I thought that this book was put together so well and it was truly an interesting read. I thought that the cover art was very interesting and it really drew me into reading the book. This is the story of Will and Tom who have found so much from each other and they have truly grown stronger as time has gone on. Will and Tom met in the schoolyard as young children and their bond continues to strengthen as time goes on. I liked the diary, first-person way of telling the story. I thought that made the book very unique, since I don't see many stories being told in a first-person type of format. As their relationship develops over time, I was so impressed with how close these two friends become. The ending was shocking and surprising. I enjoyed this read and would recommend it!
March 30, 2016
This was a heartfelt and intense story. It made me look into myself and understand a little better what it means to be introspective and look more deeply into what makes me "me".
The story goes way into depth of the two main characters, and you start to wonder, as you are pulled along, as to how the story can possibly have a 'happy' ending...well, just wait, and go along for the journey. It was worth it, and had me thinking about it for days after. Oh the life so many of us take for granted .
The only reason I dropped one star is because this book seriously needs edited and proofread, but the content pulled me through despite that frustration. This author has much potential and I hope she continues.
The story goes way into depth of the two main characters, and you start to wonder, as you are pulled along, as to how the story can possibly have a 'happy' ending...well, just wait, and go along for the journey. It was worth it, and had me thinking about it for days after. Oh the life so many of us take for granted .
The only reason I dropped one star is because this book seriously needs edited and proofread, but the content pulled me through despite that frustration. This author has much potential and I hope she continues.
October 18, 2015
I often feel saddened by reviewers who feel the need to nitpick at stories just because they contain non-traditional characters involved in non-traditional romances. Everyone needs to be honest with themselves and admit that love is love and there are no barriers when two consenting adults fall in love with other. "Chained Melodies" is a beautiful love story with remarkably original and well defined characters that will touch your heart if you just give it a chance. The book reads very much like a diary that lets the reader peek into the private lives of the characters, especially Billy who learns to embrace his true self, his sexual identity and live life in the way that makes him feel free for the first time. "Chained Melodies" is an awesome book that I highly recommend.
October 12, 2015
I thought ‘Chained Melodies’ was such a unique read. I’ve never been much for contemporary romance but I absolutely loved this story — probably because it’s so non-traditional.
I really appreciated the fact that the story featured a transexual relationship, but that wasn’t the point of or defining characteristic of the story.
Debrah Martin weaves an organic romance perfect for modern times. I loved how real and complicated it was, just like actual relationships. You could see how this type of chemistry could blossom between old friends like Will and Tom.
This story is a gem to find on Kindle. I was very satisfied with how it turned out.
I really appreciated the fact that the story featured a transexual relationship, but that wasn’t the point of or defining characteristic of the story.
Debrah Martin weaves an organic romance perfect for modern times. I loved how real and complicated it was, just like actual relationships. You could see how this type of chemistry could blossom between old friends like Will and Tom.
This story is a gem to find on Kindle. I was very satisfied with how it turned out.
October 12, 2015
Beautiful and well-written, "Chained Melodies" was addicting from the first page to the last. This author has a unique writing style that I found really enduring. But by far my favorite aspect of this read was the way the author managed to touch on sensitive subjects in a way that every reader can relate to. Overall, I highly recommend this read and look forward to more from this author soon.
April 7, 2016
Where to begin a review for this book? If I were to sum it all up in just a few words, I would say that it’s the story of a man whose sexuality and body are speaking different languages, each unable to translate what the other is communicating. While Chained Melodies is told from the dual perspective of its protagonists, Tom and Will, by far the character who elevates this book, and somewhat delivers it from the melodrama of its ending, is Will and the beauty of the author’s mapping of his journey to discover Billie, the woman Will was born to be.
This story spans more than three decades, beginning in 1964 when two seven-year-old boys become the unlikeliest of best friends. Filling the traditional role of the “man’s man,” Tom Wilson’s masculinity is displayed over the years through his mischievous boyish impulses, his strong physical presence, his hyper-libidinous urges, his views of women as sex objects, and his stint in the military which was to inexorably shore up the heteronormative ideal of manhood. While Will is by far the more emotionally effective of these two men, it’s Tom who becomes the more pitiable of the two by virtue of his buying into the innate patriarchal definition of what it means to be cismale, which makes him oblivious to the complexity of his feelings for Will–the emotions he’s incapable of examining, let alone defining. In fact, at one point in my notes I called Tom a selfish son of a bitch, and for nearly the entirety of the book he lives up to the title. Conversely, however, I felt a deep sense of empathy for his obtuseness. The definitions of manhood he espoused had been so firmly ingrained in him from childhood, and then on through to adulthood, that he was emotionally stunted and incapable of self-reflection until a pivotal and epiphanous moment he experiences later in the story.
In full contrast to Tom, Will is sensitive, studious, introspective, gentle—in other words, everything Tom isn’t. For a good majority of this book, we see Will through a series of journal entries as he struggles to understand why, as he states so often, his body and psyche feel alien to one another. Will presents as asexual throughout the early part of his story; his sexual identity remains elusive and his desires lie dormant while Tom and his other schoolmates are experiencing the awakening of their sexuality and are exhibiting their attraction to the opposite genders. Will’s not attracted to boys or girls in either a physical or emotional way, though he does eventually attempt to experiment with both, each with confusing, if not outright horrible, results. What is made clear in his search for answers, however, is that he is not gay.
As often happens with childhood friendships, Tom and Will begin a natural separation as they grow up and grow apart. As Tom discovers girls and then leaves for his stint in the army, Will focuses on academic pursuits, leaving behind a dysfunctional family life, his memories of Tom, and the small village they both grew up in, for London. It’s here that Will’s life begins to change, as his worldview expands through a job that brings him in contact with a more colorful palette of characters—gay men, transvestites, and transsexuals who each in his or her own ways propel Will toward his own sexual awakening. Will’s characterization is largely drawn through introspective moments, and it’s where most often the beauty of this story resides:
“For nearly two years now I’d been Billie by day, and neither Will nor Billie by night—a strange amorphous mass, not quite sure what to be when there was no one else to see. Is it true that what everyone else sees makes you what you are? Or are you solely what you see yourself as? Maybe the problem was that I could still see both sides of me.”
This passage and so many others like it are the heart and soul of this novel—Will’s marathon journey to find Billie and to finally be able to put a name to the discordant body she’d been trapped inside.
During the first half of the 1980s, Billie slowly emerges like the butterfly from its cocoon. As she embraces her womanhood she must soon reconcile that she needs her body to match her identity in order to live her best life, and commits to the arduous process of sex reassignment surgery. The process of interviews, humiliating treatment from her assigned physician, a battery of psychological evaluations, and the challenge of living publicly as a woman who is little more than passably female further serves to illustrate how brave Billie is, especially as she (poised as Will) must confess her deepest secret to her coworkers at the library—a group of women who shine in their acceptance of Billie as one of their own. In many ways, in fact, apart from this group of ladies, Billie presents as the only healthy and well-adjusted woman in the book, and I still haven’t decided whether that contrast was purposeful to further illustrate Billie’s strength, or if it was merely a literary device—the female character presented as the evil/crazy/shrew stereotype. Having said that, though, perhaps it’s also a bit of literary irony that Will presents as the only healthy and well-adjusted man in this novel, apart from the dichotomy of his identity. At any rate, one of the things I had to continually remind myself as I was reading this novel is that I wasn’t experiencing the story of a transwoman living in the 21st Century. While the trans* community today is still struggling to attain equality and understanding and acceptance, in the 80s, Billie was facing an even more archaic level of ignorance. Having that frame of reference made Billie’s story even more poignant and her courage ever more admirable.
Where the drama intensifies in Chained Melodies is in Tom and Will’s reunion after we’ve witnessed Tom’s disastrous marriage meet its day of reckoning—and, perhaps, offered him the single greatest challenge to his masculinity. Tom’s eventual discovery of Will’s true self—his discovery of Billie’s existence—reinforces his unyielding views of the male/female archetype, but, at the same time, he earned the opportunity to grow as a man and, eventually, this gives him a chance at redemption. While I didn’t always love Tom throughout the telling of Will’s/Billie’s story, I did end up feeling compassionate toward him in the end simply because he tried. Where this story began to go a bit sideways for me, however, is the melodramatic turn it takes, one worthy of any soap opera script which relies on overworked and clichéd tropes employed for maximum conflict.
After days of reflecting upon why this disappointed me so, that the author chose such a blatant machination to maneuver the story toward its end, the outcome of it lies squarely in the fact that I feel it diminished rather than enhanced the depth and breadth of Billie’s journey. This novel belongs to first Will and then Billie—to see her achieve some semblance of peace and a chance at happiness with Tom was the only payoff I’d have needed in order to give this novel a definitive Must Read recommendation in spite of the fact I can’t say with any amount of certainty this journey was portrayed with accuracy. I can only say it felt authentic. Unfortunately, I feel I have to offer a recommendation with conditions now–there’s a bit of a jump-the-shark feel to its climax and resolution; yet there’s no disputing the fact that Chained Melodies offers one outstanding and recommendable quality—and that’s Billie herself, and her emergence as the star of this heartrending and memorable novel.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
This story spans more than three decades, beginning in 1964 when two seven-year-old boys become the unlikeliest of best friends. Filling the traditional role of the “man’s man,” Tom Wilson’s masculinity is displayed over the years through his mischievous boyish impulses, his strong physical presence, his hyper-libidinous urges, his views of women as sex objects, and his stint in the military which was to inexorably shore up the heteronormative ideal of manhood. While Will is by far the more emotionally effective of these two men, it’s Tom who becomes the more pitiable of the two by virtue of his buying into the innate patriarchal definition of what it means to be cismale, which makes him oblivious to the complexity of his feelings for Will–the emotions he’s incapable of examining, let alone defining. In fact, at one point in my notes I called Tom a selfish son of a bitch, and for nearly the entirety of the book he lives up to the title. Conversely, however, I felt a deep sense of empathy for his obtuseness. The definitions of manhood he espoused had been so firmly ingrained in him from childhood, and then on through to adulthood, that he was emotionally stunted and incapable of self-reflection until a pivotal and epiphanous moment he experiences later in the story.
In full contrast to Tom, Will is sensitive, studious, introspective, gentle—in other words, everything Tom isn’t. For a good majority of this book, we see Will through a series of journal entries as he struggles to understand why, as he states so often, his body and psyche feel alien to one another. Will presents as asexual throughout the early part of his story; his sexual identity remains elusive and his desires lie dormant while Tom and his other schoolmates are experiencing the awakening of their sexuality and are exhibiting their attraction to the opposite genders. Will’s not attracted to boys or girls in either a physical or emotional way, though he does eventually attempt to experiment with both, each with confusing, if not outright horrible, results. What is made clear in his search for answers, however, is that he is not gay.
As often happens with childhood friendships, Tom and Will begin a natural separation as they grow up and grow apart. As Tom discovers girls and then leaves for his stint in the army, Will focuses on academic pursuits, leaving behind a dysfunctional family life, his memories of Tom, and the small village they both grew up in, for London. It’s here that Will’s life begins to change, as his worldview expands through a job that brings him in contact with a more colorful palette of characters—gay men, transvestites, and transsexuals who each in his or her own ways propel Will toward his own sexual awakening. Will’s characterization is largely drawn through introspective moments, and it’s where most often the beauty of this story resides:
“For nearly two years now I’d been Billie by day, and neither Will nor Billie by night—a strange amorphous mass, not quite sure what to be when there was no one else to see. Is it true that what everyone else sees makes you what you are? Or are you solely what you see yourself as? Maybe the problem was that I could still see both sides of me.”
This passage and so many others like it are the heart and soul of this novel—Will’s marathon journey to find Billie and to finally be able to put a name to the discordant body she’d been trapped inside.
During the first half of the 1980s, Billie slowly emerges like the butterfly from its cocoon. As she embraces her womanhood she must soon reconcile that she needs her body to match her identity in order to live her best life, and commits to the arduous process of sex reassignment surgery. The process of interviews, humiliating treatment from her assigned physician, a battery of psychological evaluations, and the challenge of living publicly as a woman who is little more than passably female further serves to illustrate how brave Billie is, especially as she (poised as Will) must confess her deepest secret to her coworkers at the library—a group of women who shine in their acceptance of Billie as one of their own. In many ways, in fact, apart from this group of ladies, Billie presents as the only healthy and well-adjusted woman in the book, and I still haven’t decided whether that contrast was purposeful to further illustrate Billie’s strength, or if it was merely a literary device—the female character presented as the evil/crazy/shrew stereotype. Having said that, though, perhaps it’s also a bit of literary irony that Will presents as the only healthy and well-adjusted man in this novel, apart from the dichotomy of his identity. At any rate, one of the things I had to continually remind myself as I was reading this novel is that I wasn’t experiencing the story of a transwoman living in the 21st Century. While the trans* community today is still struggling to attain equality and understanding and acceptance, in the 80s, Billie was facing an even more archaic level of ignorance. Having that frame of reference made Billie’s story even more poignant and her courage ever more admirable.
Where the drama intensifies in Chained Melodies is in Tom and Will’s reunion after we’ve witnessed Tom’s disastrous marriage meet its day of reckoning—and, perhaps, offered him the single greatest challenge to his masculinity. Tom’s eventual discovery of Will’s true self—his discovery of Billie’s existence—reinforces his unyielding views of the male/female archetype, but, at the same time, he earned the opportunity to grow as a man and, eventually, this gives him a chance at redemption. While I didn’t always love Tom throughout the telling of Will’s/Billie’s story, I did end up feeling compassionate toward him in the end simply because he tried. Where this story began to go a bit sideways for me, however, is the melodramatic turn it takes, one worthy of any soap opera script which relies on overworked and clichéd tropes employed for maximum conflict.
After days of reflecting upon why this disappointed me so, that the author chose such a blatant machination to maneuver the story toward its end, the outcome of it lies squarely in the fact that I feel it diminished rather than enhanced the depth and breadth of Billie’s journey. This novel belongs to first Will and then Billie—to see her achieve some semblance of peace and a chance at happiness with Tom was the only payoff I’d have needed in order to give this novel a definitive Must Read recommendation in spite of the fact I can’t say with any amount of certainty this journey was portrayed with accuracy. I can only say it felt authentic. Unfortunately, I feel I have to offer a recommendation with conditions now–there’s a bit of a jump-the-shark feel to its climax and resolution; yet there’s no disputing the fact that Chained Melodies offers one outstanding and recommendable quality—and that’s Billie herself, and her emergence as the star of this heartrending and memorable novel.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
http://www.thenovelapproachreviews.co...
June 6, 2017
This book is an emotional rollercoaster. It is told in alternating chapters by Will and Tom, friends since childhood. Their lives take widely divergent paths when Tom , the macho one, joins the Army and Will, a gentler soul, goes to university. Will never really feels like he fits in his life until he meets a girl who is in the midst of a gender change. His recurring dream of peeling off an alien costume suddenly makes sense and he embarks on the path to become the woman he feels he should have been. This is an issue that will turn some people completely off on the book, and that will be their loss. Listening to Will as he struggles with his decision should make people feel more compassion for people in these circumstances. The book also examines the reactions of others and the hatred directed at Will/Billie. The book is set in London in the 1970’s and 1980’s, a time when this issue would have been even more sensitive and difficult than it is now. The narrator of the audiobook brings out the personalities of Tom and Will and truly gives the listener a sense of who they really are that would be absent in the printed book. This is not the genre I normally read, nor do I always like the British accent in audiobooks, and I almost gave up on it because it seemed to go on a little long. I am certainly glad I continued listening. I received a copy of the audiobook from the author in exchange for this review and I am very grateful to her. This book is very moving and will remain with me for a long time.
May 29, 2017
( Format : Audiobook )
""Sometimes, in life, we have to improvise."
Simply stunning.
Tom and Will become unlikely best friends at school. Very different, they share one thing: both want to get away from their home town. As adults, they drift apart, Tom joining the army, a real man's man, Will going to university, then London, and struggling with his own identity. Eventually they meet again, their shared memories bringing them ever closer to, finally, give shape to both their lives.
Such a beautiful book, well written in alternating remembrances and internal dialogue from the points of view of Tom and Will, and sensitively read by the gentle voiced Rob Groves. His reading adds an even greater dimension to the characters of the two main protagonists - no easy feat given how fully they are already drawn by author, Deborah Martin.
This is a love story but not of the usual kind. Totally engrossing, I recommend everyone to read it. It is harsh and cruel, sweet and sublime, two totally different lives , in depth, in loneliness, in life, "both aliens in an alien world today." Yes, simply stunning.
""Sometimes, in life, we have to improvise."
Simply stunning.
Tom and Will become unlikely best friends at school. Very different, they share one thing: both want to get away from their home town. As adults, they drift apart, Tom joining the army, a real man's man, Will going to university, then London, and struggling with his own identity. Eventually they meet again, their shared memories bringing them ever closer to, finally, give shape to both their lives.
Such a beautiful book, well written in alternating remembrances and internal dialogue from the points of view of Tom and Will, and sensitively read by the gentle voiced Rob Groves. His reading adds an even greater dimension to the characters of the two main protagonists - no easy feat given how fully they are already drawn by author, Deborah Martin.
This is a love story but not of the usual kind. Totally engrossing, I recommend everyone to read it. It is harsh and cruel, sweet and sublime, two totally different lives , in depth, in loneliness, in life, "both aliens in an alien world today." Yes, simply stunning.
May 23, 2017
Oh, my heart. What a book!
It's about two best friends who grow up together and then drift apart. When they reunite, one is in the midst of transitioning to a woman. What follows is the two learning to understand their own feelings and the world they live in.
There are a few misspellings and grammatical errors, but not enough to really take from the enjoyment of the story. There are also two chapters in the story that took nearly two hours each to read. The rest of the chapters are relatively short.
This story is romance but not a traditional one. In many ways the best friends' journey from childhood to the end is more about their own confusing lives rather than a budding romance. Tom struggles with failure and with his best friend becoming a woman. Will/Billie struggles with her sexuality as a man before realizing she's a woman and then struggles with the prejudice and hate that comes with transitioning.
There is so much packed into the story that the book feels longer than it actually is, but it is well worth the read from beginning to end!
It's about two best friends who grow up together and then drift apart. When they reunite, one is in the midst of transitioning to a woman. What follows is the two learning to understand their own feelings and the world they live in.
There are a few misspellings and grammatical errors, but not enough to really take from the enjoyment of the story. There are also two chapters in the story that took nearly two hours each to read. The rest of the chapters are relatively short.
This story is romance but not a traditional one. In many ways the best friends' journey from childhood to the end is more about their own confusing lives rather than a budding romance. Tom struggles with failure and with his best friend becoming a woman. Will/Billie struggles with her sexuality as a man before realizing she's a woman and then struggles with the prejudice and hate that comes with transitioning.
There is so much packed into the story that the book feels longer than it actually is, but it is well worth the read from beginning to end!
February 26, 2018
Heart-wrenching!
This is a very well written tale with well developed characters and an engrossing storyline. It follows the lives of 2 friends, Tom, a self-possessed alpha male, and Will, a female soul trapped in a male body. Tom joins the army, while Will goes to college. Years later, their paths cross again. By this time, Will is living as Billie, a woman, but feels it necessary to hide that part of her life from Tom. When Tom unexpectedly finds Will dressed as a woman, he reacts with disgust. What follows is a heart-wrenching tale of coming to terms with Tom's knee-jerk reactions, unresolved issues and misunderstandings, and Tom's growing attraction to Billie. This book belongs on your must-read list!
This is a very well written tale with well developed characters and an engrossing storyline. It follows the lives of 2 friends, Tom, a self-possessed alpha male, and Will, a female soul trapped in a male body. Tom joins the army, while Will goes to college. Years later, their paths cross again. By this time, Will is living as Billie, a woman, but feels it necessary to hide that part of her life from Tom. When Tom unexpectedly finds Will dressed as a woman, he reacts with disgust. What follows is a heart-wrenching tale of coming to terms with Tom's knee-jerk reactions, unresolved issues and misunderstandings, and Tom's growing attraction to Billie. This book belongs on your must-read list!
May 5, 2017
**I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.**
I thought this book was amazing. And I didn't want to put it down. It was interesting to read the different perspectives. And with the exception of one part towards the end that felt ... farcical? and a couple parts that were over-simplified, I thought it was very genuine, and the author clearly felt love for her characters. They felt like real people. I enjoy that in my fiction. :)
I thought this book was amazing. And I didn't want to put it down. It was interesting to read the different perspectives. And with the exception of one part towards the end that felt ... farcical? and a couple parts that were over-simplified, I thought it was very genuine, and the author clearly felt love for her characters. They felt like real people. I enjoy that in my fiction. :)
April 8, 2018
This started slowly for me, but my God was I gripped by the end! Some books you just know you will always remember the characters and Will/Billie and Tom are those for me - they both worked their way into my heart and I absolutely loved them both - warts n all in Tom's case. Will/Billie - I just loved him to bits. I won't give anything away, and it is an emotional read, but I really do highly recommend it.
June 6, 2017
My first read from author Debrah Martin was a wonderfully written love story? But outside my comfort zone. It began slowly and ploddingly and not until the last hour of the audio book did it pick up speed and garner my interest. I will say that I think my discomfort with the subject matter was more the problem than the quality of the author’s writing. I’d try another by her.
January 30, 2021
Powerful
Five stars for a powerful story with an amazing ending. Love, true love, really does conquer all.
Chained Memories leads you through the lives of two
who live entirely different, but parallel existences. Frankly I was surprised when I finished the book I sat back and said, I really liked that.
Five stars for a powerful story with an amazing ending. Love, true love, really does conquer all.
Chained Memories leads you through the lives of two
who live entirely different, but parallel existences. Frankly I was surprised when I finished the book I sat back and said, I really liked that.
December 29, 2019
Chained melodies
Fantastic novel I have never read before such an emotional and painful story. The characters including Billie and Tom were truly magnificent this story gave me tears of joy and tears of Pain
Fantastic novel I have never read before such an emotional and painful story. The characters including Billie and Tom were truly magnificent this story gave me tears of joy and tears of Pain
April 10, 2019
Review to come later
June 24, 2019
A wonderful tale, very well written.
March 18, 2017
Really a pretty good story
Avery bitter sweet story of two friends and their complicated intertwined lives. Tom and Will were opposites who had a strong connection that survived so much.
Avery bitter sweet story of two friends and their complicated intertwined lives. Tom and Will were opposites who had a strong connection that survived so much.
September 16, 2016
Lately, I’ve been reading books about romance, thriller and science fiction, so when I stumbled to this book, I know I’ve got to read it! And yeah, I just did. But unfortunately, I wasn’t that totally impressed. I was really expecting that this book was going to let me shed a tear or two at early as its first chapter. (The notion you’ll get when you read too much of romance and science fiction books)
This story started too dull for me, and also made me think that I am reading a diary instead of a book, which was partly true. This book talks mainly about two opposite lives; how they met and how they build a lasting relationship which is quite new and wasn’t fully accepted yet in our society (or maybe that’s only for me. I’m kind of naive you know? *wink) It was also a bit disturbing on my part because I haven’t read such a book like this, so in that case, a parental guidance is to be observe when reading this book (for underage readers)
I was really struggling on reading this book, which is why it took me this long to finish it. This is a kind of book that when I say, “one final chapter”, then obviously, I’m gonna stop and peacefully go to sleep. Not a kind of book that would leave me breathless and end up going to bed late just to finish it. But why I am giving it a 4-stars rating eh?
One great thing about this book is that it talked no non-sense. This book is so new to me that I don’t know how to deal with it. No wonder I find it boring at first eh? So yeah, this book has so many realizations especially to those who are having a hard time finding themselves. I don’t know how to explain it, but it really changed me. I’m not really a kind of person who judge someone because of his/her life choices, but this book made me understand their situation fully.
The ending, oh-so ending is my most favorite part of this book. Oh my! I am even speechless and I don’t know what to say. I guess it’s up to you to find it out eh?
This book was well written though I find some numerous terms that I need to check my dictionary of its meaning. Also, unlike other books, this book only has few characters so they’re so easy to keep track of.
Overall, I think this book is worth checking out.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read my full review blog post
>> Buy Chained Melodies (Kindle)**
>> Buy Chained Melodies (Paperback)
To read more of my reviews, book news and updates:
Main Blog: Blushing Geek
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This story started too dull for me, and also made me think that I am reading a diary instead of a book, which was partly true. This book talks mainly about two opposite lives; how they met and how they build a lasting relationship which is quite new and wasn’t fully accepted yet in our society (or maybe that’s only for me. I’m kind of naive you know? *wink) It was also a bit disturbing on my part because I haven’t read such a book like this, so in that case, a parental guidance is to be observe when reading this book (for underage readers)
I was really struggling on reading this book, which is why it took me this long to finish it. This is a kind of book that when I say, “one final chapter”, then obviously, I’m gonna stop and peacefully go to sleep. Not a kind of book that would leave me breathless and end up going to bed late just to finish it. But why I am giving it a 4-stars rating eh?
One great thing about this book is that it talked no non-sense. This book is so new to me that I don’t know how to deal with it. No wonder I find it boring at first eh? So yeah, this book has so many realizations especially to those who are having a hard time finding themselves. I don’t know how to explain it, but it really changed me. I’m not really a kind of person who judge someone because of his/her life choices, but this book made me understand their situation fully.
The ending, oh-so ending is my most favorite part of this book. Oh my! I am even speechless and I don’t know what to say. I guess it’s up to you to find it out eh?
This book was well written though I find some numerous terms that I need to check my dictionary of its meaning. Also, unlike other books, this book only has few characters so they’re so easy to keep track of.
Overall, I think this book is worth checking out.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Read my full review blog post
>> Buy Chained Melodies (Kindle)**
>> Buy Chained Melodies (Paperback)
To read more of my reviews, book news and updates:
Main Blog: Blushing Geek
Facebook Page
Subscribe to mailing list
October 20, 2015
When you read a book that is set in a contemporary setting, readers often have to suspend disbelief to lend credit to the story, but in Chained Melodies this is most definitely not the case. Ground with a deep stake in reality, this book is one that not only embraces the beauty and wonder of life and the nature of love, but also the darker and more difficult aspects of life that arise when people choose to walk the difficult path.
Like any good novel, the characters in this book are the key to its believability. Tom and Will/Billie are wonderfully crafted with flaws, faults, hopes, dreams, adversity and, most importantly, history. For me, the greatest strength of this book lies in the friendship that is established between the two main characters and the influence that their childhood has on this love. Growing up and living in chaos helps a rare and valuable friendship to form that is essential for carrying both of them through to the end of the book.
The pain that is endured by both Tom and Will makes them easy to relate to and to empathise with at times and sympathise with as Will’s life on a twist to a destination that some never have the courage to try and reach, and others find unusual and alienating.
The plot is well thought out, and though it will not leave you gasping every few minutes as events unfold, it will leave you enriched from having experienced the lives of Tom and Will and the effect that their friendship has on the life of the other.
Written in a moving way, this book is one that I highly recommend to all those who enjoy contemporary novels that are not filled with unbelievable romance, but instead are packed with the genuine experience of the human condition.
Like any good novel, the characters in this book are the key to its believability. Tom and Will/Billie are wonderfully crafted with flaws, faults, hopes, dreams, adversity and, most importantly, history. For me, the greatest strength of this book lies in the friendship that is established between the two main characters and the influence that their childhood has on this love. Growing up and living in chaos helps a rare and valuable friendship to form that is essential for carrying both of them through to the end of the book.
The pain that is endured by both Tom and Will makes them easy to relate to and to empathise with at times and sympathise with as Will’s life on a twist to a destination that some never have the courage to try and reach, and others find unusual and alienating.
The plot is well thought out, and though it will not leave you gasping every few minutes as events unfold, it will leave you enriched from having experienced the lives of Tom and Will and the effect that their friendship has on the life of the other.
Written in a moving way, this book is one that I highly recommend to all those who enjoy contemporary novels that are not filled with unbelievable romance, but instead are packed with the genuine experience of the human condition.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews